Yakomonogatari
by Araragi Senpai
Summary: After the events of Tsukimonogatari. Araragi Koyomi is reaching the end of his third year of high-school by now, preparing his college entrance exams. But before leaving Naoetsu High, he will have to solve a tricky case. Rated T for now, may evolve into M.
1. Michiko layer : Chapter 1

_**This is my first story in english, which is not my language. I hope you'll be able to bear with my english and will like my story. Feel free to comment anything on your mind, criticism is welcome of course.**_

 _ **Here is the first chapter of 'Yakomonogatari'.**_

 _ **EDIT : From chapter 2 onwards, storytelling will be Monogatari style A.K.A Araragi POV (First person) after some feedback, I decided to try it.**_

* * *

23rd February. 6:19 am.

One minute. That was what's separating Araragi Koyomi from waking up this morning. These crucial sixty seconds of sleep may determine whether he will be opening his eyes with a sense of being full of energy or completely deprived of any. This young man wasn't what you would call a morning person, in the first place; that's why this statement is all the more true in his case. By the way, in the Araragi household, two persons couldn't care less about that and those were…

 **"Nii-chan, it's morning, damn it!"**

Araragi Karen.

 **"You can't sleep anymore, come on!"**

Araragi Tsukihi.

His sisters, known as the Fire Sisters at school, were currently yelling at him and energetically shaking his body which was still under a green blanket. Groaning in a weary way, the elder brother was taking his time to open one of his eyes as he was, to his greatest dismay, accustomed to Karen and Tsukihi's way to replace his alarm clock.

 **"I'm awake now…"** said the boy, before adding in a quiet voice a _"good night…"_ that sadly didn't go unnoticed.

 **"DON'T SLEEP!"** were the words they yelled, in unison.

A flurry of punches, eye pokes, and some forceful skin stretching was enough to make him surrender to the fierce sisters he was curs- … blessed with.

 **"Alright, alright stobbit…?!"**

Right when he was about to finish his complaint, and while his mouth was opened to do so, Karen's hand which was going to hit him up some more went into said mouth. He instinctively exerted a soft pressure upon it as she was trying to remove her hand from there. The result was quite peculiar: the pressure was just enough to keep one finger in his mouth. As a baby would do with its mother's teat, or a child with its lollipop, the high-school boy sucked on it with passion.

The alarm clock began to ring, announcing the official beginning of the day for Araragi Koyomi as well as the beginning of a violent moment we should not make a tale of. Let's be considerate towards our younger readers and those with fragile hearts.

* * *

Some say the way to school is a warrior's path. Getting up so early that the sun is just about to rise, out in the cold winter weather and charged with heavy books in the bag isn't enjoyable at all to them. Araragi Koyomi is one of them, while Hanekawa Tsubasa isn't. That's the kind of routine she is actually fond of, because it makes her feel the joy of encountering this young man quite often.

One could argue that the way to school isn't supposed to be liked because of who you meet in the morning but to reflect upon oneself during the time it takes to get to school; for example, remembering yesterday's mathematics lesson for the test today. And if there isn't any planned you can't be too sure there won't be a pop quiz, right? If you didn't do your homework, you could be thinking about how you'd try to avoid doing that again. Even if you're a hundred percent aware you're going to ditch homework a few days later for whatever reason fits you and puts your conscience at ease.

Anyways back to the topic at hand.

Hanekawa Tsubasa was looking at Araragi Koyomi's back in front of her. His pace was just as usual, the third year negligently making his way to the entrance of Naoetsu Private High School. It wasn't hard for the class rep to catch up to him and his atypical head mounted by a rebellious strand of hair.

 **"Good morning, Araragi-kun. What a nice weather we have today."**

Araragi turned around and grunted back to her some kind of response.

 **"What kind of person actually thinks this _is_ a good weather?"**

To him, no one would like walking in the cold at this time of the day.

 **"You're already grumpy so early in the morning, did you get woken up by Karen-chan and Tsukihi-chan?"**

His eyebrow twitched, as if annoyed by what he just heard. Reminiscing how he got to open his eyes earlier, and how Hanekawa was always right on the dot made it react in such a way.

 **"You really know everything, don't you, Hanekawa?"**

 **"I don't know everything. Only what I know."**

The usual answer came out of the former glasses wearing girl. Her short hair was once again dyed black to attend to school normally as her… condition now made her have natural silver strands all over her head if she didn't. Araragi sighed.

 **"If you already knew it, there was no need to apply salt in my wounds. Do you have some kind of fetish consisting in torturing me perhaps…?"**

 **"Who knows… That may be the case."** Hanekawa replied with a mischievous grin clearly displaying her playful attitude.

 **"Give me a break, these two sisters of mine are enough… I'd rather have some comforting character right by me as of now."**

 **"Mhhh…"** The short haired girl started to ponder over the matter and kept on after a few seconds. **"But then again, there's Senjougahara-san… right?"**

She made an act and looked at him with a shy look all over her face, trying to bait him into a seduction play. Needless to say it didn't take more than a second for Araragi Koyomi to get into it when the person he secretly fantasized about would do something like that.

 **"O-Of course! Even I wouldn't think of betraying Senjougahara's love… right. Yeah. Mh."**

An hasty and nervous reply was pronounced, as he was sweating furiously and glancing over her features without a shred of shame. Hanekawa Tsubasa was, indeed, quite the slim and well-endowed girl. This act of hers wasn't even needed to attract the eyes of the young men around her at school or in the streets.

 **"Eeeh… such a serious and faithful man you are. Good boy, good boy."**

She ended up breaking her act and laughing heartily after seeing his reaction when she said her words; his half-opened mouth finally closed as his eyes stopped wandering over her figure and went straight up to look at the tall building in front of them.

 **"Tsk. Let's get going, the bell is going to ring."** With that, Araragi put an end to their friendly moment and incited his class rep to follow him to class.

* * *

In the stairway leading to the third floor of the school building, most of the students were already around their classrooms chatting away the last minutes separating them from sitting at their respective desks. Hanekawa's and Araragi's classroom was down the hall so they had to walk some more before reaching it. As they turned around the corner to their destination, someone passed by them. Someone very noticeable. A female student with a stone cold expression over her pale and incredibly beautiful face, she looked like a doll. The thought of the shikigami Ononoki Yotsugi instantly came to be in Araragi's mind while he had his eyes set on her. She didn't resemble her one bit overall; she was a tall girl with long black hair and light brown eyes. In terms of body traits, she was closer to Kanbaru Suruga, the perverted sports girl he often talks to, but her expression was enough to make him think of the green haired and eccentric aberration. She almost seemed like she wasn't human at all.

 **"H-Hey."**

Araragi himself didn't know why he uttered his word. Something compelled him to, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. No matter how hard he tried to come up with an explanation in his mind, nothing would get out of it and it frustrated him. He knew himself very well after all, and it made no sense whatsoever why he would call this girl out. If Oshino Ougi was to say her word, she would probably say something along the lines of " _I don't know anything. You are the one who knows, Araragi-senpai._ " Then again, Araragi wondered why he thought of Ougi right this moment.

 **"…"**

The girl didn't even stop or react in any way, nor did she make her voice heard. She just kept on walking straight, her hair swaying as she pressed on to the staircase. Hanekawa's words made him snap out of it.

 **"I know what kind of man Araragi-kun is, but even so I think that was inappropriate."**

 **"Eh? What was?"** He said, genuinely intrigued by her sentence.

 **"You looked like you were enchanted by her, even though it was the first time you saw her. You were staring hard at her and tried to engage a conversation out of nowhere. No girl would stop and interact with a person like that."**

Her reply made him blink a few times.

 **"R-Really…? I didn't notice I was staring this hard…"**

 **"Aaaah… Boys will be boys, as they say…"**

 **"Wait Hanekawa. You said that it was the first time I saw her, so… was it the first time you saw her too?"**

 **"Mh? Yes. I knew about her but I didn't see her yet. She just came back to school after studying from home for the past semester. She is a third year like us… Her name is Michiko Yamane if I remember well. With the kanji of 'righteous path' and 'root of the mountain'. She is in a different class though. Hoshina-sensei was saying that to the principal last week, just after having received a call from her parents."**

 **"So it's a bit like what happened with Oikura a few months ago… even if she ended up leaving Naoetsu High."**

 **"That's right. Nothing that tragic was happening for her to be studying at home though. She just had an illness that needed a special kind of treatment that wouldn't allow her to be moving away from her room."**

 **"I see. I guess we should be glad she's here now, that means the treatment went well and she's able to move around again."**

The bell rang and announced the beginning of classes. Every student still in the hallway hurried up in their classrooms and so did Araragi and Hanekawa. The class president and the vice-president couldn't come in late after all. They had a role to fulfill, and they made sure they did as much as possible.

In this story, Araragi Koyomi had another role to carry on his shoulders. A role he already fulfilled numerous times in the past year or so. Something that he ended up becoming a vampire from. In other words, it's another story about Araragi Koyomi and aberrations. Even though Oshino Meme was one to say that people would always end up saving themselves without help, he would be the one to save others. Indiscriminately, regardless of the burden it would put upon himself.

 _"_ _Aberrations tend to have proportionate reasons."_ Oshino Ougi explained that to him, when he was locked up in a weird disappearing classroom. Araragi Koyomi did not have reasons to save someone in need, and to most people… that in itself is kind of an aberration.

* * *

 _ **And that's it for this chapter. I hope you can tell me what you think of it, it's a first for me after all and I want to hear if I'm heading in the right direction.**_


	2. Michiko layer : Chapter 2

**_Hey everyone. This is chapter 2 of my Yakomonogatari story, and I bring here a drastic but needed change to the storytelling. As I mentioned before, I'm not an English native so my grammar/vocabulary is pretty limited. I was kind of anxious to write in first person and thought the usual third person use was easier on me. A Reddit user I personally thank for his comments (SuperG9) helped me make my mind on that matter. So from now on, the story will be NisiOisin style, Araragi point of view centered. This is not proofread by any english native (yet!) so I apologize in advance for any mistakes you may find._**

 ** _I hope it will please you guys as well!_**

* * *

23rd February. 11:54 am.

It's time for lunch and my stomach growls, manifesting itself and protesting to me violently as my body needs its nutrients to be assimilated through the digestion of food. I couldn't quite get a healthy breakfast this morning thanks to the infamous Fire Sisters. I'll make sure they pay the price in a thorough manner. As I'm heading towards the cafeteria for my usual yakisoba sandwich, a favorite of mine, I naturally end up meeting that girl I came across before classes began. How cliché, am I right? I mean, it's not like I totally wasted my first periods of today's classes thinking about her and secretly wishing I could see her during the pause for lunch. How intriguing, how fascinating, how mysterious. Here she is, in all her pale splendor, walking diligently to the cafeteria as well with a certain dignity in the way she's walking. Am I really that intrigued by this girl? What would Senjougahara think of an Araragi Koyomi staring at a girl's body and thinking about her with such intensity that he would neglect his studies?

 _"_ _Die."_

Yep. After some reflection, her voice reaches my inner thoughts. That would probably be the most accurate answer to this question. Nevertheless… back to the main topic. If you're going to selfishly admire someone only to be disillusioned later, then maybe you shouldn't try to get to know them better at all. That's what I abide by. So the problem here is why am I currently trying to know more about her? Why am I obsessed with her right now? For her pretty face? Her demeanor? Her charisma? I don't even know precisely myself. I want to talk to her. I want her to open to me. Is she a shy, timid girl? Is that why she seems to be giving everyone the cold shoulder? Or is it something else? Has she recovered enough from her illness? Did she get bullied as soon as she got in her class? Has someone stared at her revealed panties after a divine hand forced a gust of wind to rush under her skirt? Oops. This is getting out of hand. I begin my approach as she stopped to queue in for her order, behind the people already there.

 **"** **H-Hey."**

Damn it. I just stuttered nervously again. What am I, an elementary school kid talking for the first time to a girl he likes?! Wait, more importantly, what is up with that look she's giving me? It's like she's just looking over at a pile of smelly trash bags in the streets that weren't picked up by garbage collectors. Disgusted is the right word for the analogy.

 **"** **What is it, Araragi Koyomi."**

Oooh! This time I got an answer and her voice finally graced my ears. A soft and soothing one at that… even if the tone implied she wasn't really pleased at all. And did she just say _"Araragi"_?

My position within Naoetsu Private High School was like that of a rock on the side of the road. Even some of my dear classmates could very well not be aware of my name. How could Michiko Yamane, a "new" student at this school, know my name?

 **"** **That is correct. Michiko Yamane, right? Nice to meet you… How did you get to know my name? I'm curious."**

I'm trying to be as genuine as possible. I don't want to appear like Hanekawa described me as. A small smile with that should seal the deal.

 **"** **I went to the teacher's office to ask for the name of a student fitting your physical description. They asked me why, so I told them the truth."**

C…Could she m-mean that… Impossible… Is that what they call… love at first sight?! But I have Senjougahara and I-…

 **"** **That I wanted to know the name of the perverted guy I should avoid at all cost for glancing over my body so blatantly and calling out to me in the next seconds."**

If I could fall over, anime style with the camera focusing on my legs and feet in the air, I would totally do it right now. That would fit the feeling of shock and disappointment filling me on the spot.

 **"** **Don't describe me like that to the teachers! I'm not that shady of a character!"**

My outburst felt really justified because I knew they would probably believe her more than me who's been here for years. I'm pretty sure I'll get called in the next hour or so to the office to explain myself. What an unfortunate day.

 **"** **I only told them what the facts were, Araragi. Now please, don't talk to me anymore."**

And now she's pulling the self-important type attitude? Who in the world is this girl?

 **"** **First of all, I have a girlfriend so that should clear an obvious misunderstanding. I wasn't giving you the kind of look you think it was. I should still apologize if it seemed like it, to you or anyone else. I can assure you from the bottom of my heart that it was not the case."**

Here, how is that? I call this the sincerity of a man that flips the situation around.

 **"** **You? Having a girlfriend? If you're not lying, which I find hard to believe, then I feel really sorry for her. Give her my regards and condolences."**

… I'm being judged very harshly. And what is this frustrating feeling of being estimated more like a criminal than a fellow student?!

Speaking of the devil.

 **"** **I appreciate your concern. But as defective as he is, Araragi still is my boyfriend. I'm such a benevolent soul that I take it on me and pour all of my heart into our relationship to please this shameless man."**

Senjougahara Hitagi just arrived from behind us, making a path for herself in the middle of all those waiting in line for their lunch. In fact, it would be more accurate to say she made the pack of hungry students form a path for Senjougahara to take. What an overwhelming aura she carried around. I'm truly fortunate to be her chosen one.

 **"** **Whatever suits your taste. I'll be on my way then."**

Michiko Yamane didn't waste any time in bidding her farewell and tried to get away from us within the next second, before she got interrupted in her escape by Senjougahara's firm grasp on her left arm.

 **"** **Wait. I'm not done talking, Michiko Yamane. I think you forgot something."**

Her tone was pretty menacing. She's supposed to have dropped that character thing of attacking people with stationery… So Miss Senjougahara would you care to explain why you are currently bringing up a compass?!

 **"** **I'm not so kind as to let that slide. If Araragi said that he wasn't checking your body out, you should apologize for calling him a pervert and a desperate case of a human being."**

Hey. Don't put false and unnecessary statements in the mix, Miss Girlfriend.

 **"** **Senjougahara, she didn't say that last par-…"**

 **"** **Araragi, stay quiet for the time being."**

Compass… stay right where you are, you evil thing! Don't make it look like it's Senjougahara who is controlling you at the moment, it hurts my heart!

 **"** **This isn't a matter of what his intent was. This is how I felt and received it. These glances were making me feel awkward and disgusted. You should educate your boyfriend on how to behave normally in society."**

The girl named Michiko Yamane just defined me as a desperate case of a human being. Senjougahara was right from the beginning of this argument. And I have to shut up to top it off.

Getting insulted or assaulted by a female student without having the means to defend myself is a strange feeling. This is the second time Senjougahara is taking the position of a lawyer for me and it goes without saying she's a violent one. Last time, she knocked out Oikura Sodachi with a punch after "How much" stabbed my hand with a pencil. I mean… the usual setup is the boyfriend defending his girlfriend in distress, not the other way around.

Source : My manga collection.

 **"** **Now I would be most delighted if you could lift your hand off my arm, Senjougahara. Otherwise I'll file another complaint, about you this time."**

Oh poor girl… If you thought this was enough to make Senjougahara yield, you're going to be really disappointed when you come to realize there's no conflict she doesn't emerge victorious of.

 **"** **Mh. Alright."**

What the hell? Where did your hand and compass go, Senjougahara? Did she just give up…?

In any case, Michiko Yamane was nowhere to be found as soon as she got released by the purple haired girl standing next to me in silence.

 **"** **Senjougahara…? Are you there?"**

I was trying to understand this unexpected turn of events, but first of all, her silence is confusing me.

 **"** **Could Michiko be your type of girl after all, Araragi?"**

No, no, no. We're not going there.

 **"** **How could she be? She doesn't have short hair, for starters."**

She should know by now. She even cut her own hair.

 **"** **Is that so? I find her to be quite the beautiful girl though. I can see why your lustful eyes were so glued to her body."**

I'm shocked by her words and somehow I'm also feeling uneasy about all this.

 **"** **Why do you doubt me all of a sudden? There's definitely something wrong with this situation!"**

Senjougahara looks over her shoulder to my position, before continuing.

 **"** **Was there ever a moment I didn't consider you to be a hopeless and perverted virgin?"**

Ouch. That would have hurt the Araragi Koyomi who lived up to February. The fact that we engaged in some nightly activities together for Valentine's day makes it seem like a comedic retort of some sort.

 **"** **I guess I should have considered your chocolates to be awful and ran away to come back home…"**

It looks like I went too far with it. She has a pained look in her captivating eyes. It means it is time to clarify things up.

 **"** **I'm just kidding, you know."**

 **"** **You better be, Araragi. Otherwise, there won't be another chocolate tasting session. In its entirety."**

And this means it is time to swallow my pride and bow. Yes, let us do that.

 **"** **I'm very sorry, please let me taste your chocolates again, it was very good and healthy to a point I can't even describe."**

Her smile is enough to make me understand the point got across successfully. A sigh of relief escapes from my lips. Still, one thing doesn't make sense and puts me in a nervous state. There is no way Senjougahara would give in like this. Hell freezing over would be more believable to me and of less importance. Should I try asking Hanekawa about this? Maybe she has an idea of what's going on with her. This girl knows everything anyway.

* * *

 ** _As always, I'll be delighted if I can see any comments on how the approach was and if it is to your liking! Thanks for reading, and see you next chapter._**


	3. Michiko layer : Chapter 3

_**Hi there, welcome to chapter 3. I have nothing special to mention this time so I just hope you'll be able to find some entertainment in reading my story.**_

 _ **o/**_

* * *

23rd February. 5:41 pm.

If you are wondering why a third year in high-school is waiting alone at the front gate of Naoetsu High, as the sun just disappeared in the far horizon, you may begin to think he's probably waiting for his girlfriend to join him after classes for their way back to their respective homes.

In this case, you couldn't be more wrong.

I am currently waiting for my class president to meet up with me. I'm not cheating on Senjougahara by the way. I'm going to get advices about girls from a girl I'm pretty close to. A girl I owe so much too.

Since my girlfriend is part of the problem to be tackled, I can't really ask her about what's bothering me right now.

It has to be from someone who is completely out of the picture and as it stands, Hanekawa Tsubasa is the one I can turn to, some may even say I _must_ turn to.

I see the class rep exiting the main building as she's calmly walking to me, with her bag hanging on her side.

" **Hey, Araragi. Did you wait for long?"**

I've been there for quite some time indeed but the bit of common sense I have says a man should always tell a girl he waited for, that he just arrived.

" **Not really. Actually, I just got out five minutes ago so…"**

" **That's no good, a lying Araragi…!"**

She's grinning from ear to ear.

That girl! Of course she would know that too!

" **I went to the teacher's office before and while I was passing by the windows I saw you out there fifteen minutes ago."**

" **You'd prefer me scolding you for making me wait for a quarter of an hour?"**

I'm not pouting at all. I'm not a kid after all.

Right.

" **Considering I was there for your sake, I'd be a bit sad about it I guess…?"**

Her answer is triggering some curiosity in me.

" **For my sake…? What did you do exactly, Hanekawa?"**

" **Remember when you met with Michiko for the first time earlier this morning? It seems like she** **went to complain to the teachers that a perverted student was after her. I went to clear your name as it was** _ **MOSTLY**_ **a misunderstanding."**

You don't have to highlight that. I didn't look at her with any particular thoughts in the back of my mind. Nope.

Hanekawa Tsubasa is the same Hanekawa Tsubasa, no matter how much time passes. An eternal saint putting herself out there for the sake of others, even if she calls that self-satisfaction, and there may be some truth to that, it's still a matter of fact this girl is virtuous, charitable, warmhearted and every other synonymous that could exist which could depict Hanekawa as such.

" **For that I must thank you. And it's a** _ **TOTAL**_ **misunderstanding."**

I must keep some pride as a human being. I can't let you say whatever floats your boat, Class President.

She laughed at that.

" **Alright. Shall we get going then, Araragi? We can talk while we're heading home. There's a place I want to stop on the way too."**

I always feel like Hanekawa is leading our different meetings and conversations whenever we end up sharing some time, just the two of us. I wonder if she feels the same about our interactions.

It's not like I'm forcing myself to follow her instructions, most of the time I'm in agreement or I don't really feel like it's a problem for me at all to do as she says.

It reminds me of Ougi.

Again.

Must be because of that little competition they had when we were trying to solve the equation named Oikura Sodachi.

" **Sure."**

My nonchalant response signals our departure from the school's front gate to the problem I feel the need to talk about.

* * *

6:03 pm.

Hanekawa and I stop by the riverbank lit by the nearby street lighting. The sound of water crashing against the rocks below echoes around us, as the road a few meters away is strangely empty of any car circulating on it.

This is precisely the place I came to meet her during spring break of last year. Could I call it a fateful meeting? Now that I think about it, it was qualified as such.

I mean without this event taking place, I doubt I'd have gotten out of my house on _that_ night.

I wouldn't have had dirty thoughts about a high-school girl with glasses wearing a pure-white undergarment with a ribbon on top of the flower design.

See? These thoughts were so overwhelming I had to buy a porn magazine. And optionally ran into a woman-… no, a vampire without legs or arms, crying for help and who ended up drinking my blood, making me her minion.

Oh well, that's enough reminiscing.

" **So this is the place you wanted to come to?"**

I voice my question as the girl with short hair, quite different from the braid she had back then, leans against the iron fence.

" **Is it bringing some bad feelings to you, Araragi?"**

That's always straight to the point Hanekawa for you. I can't dislike that part of her.

" **I would lie if I were to say otherwise, if only for a moment. But since I came to terms with my** **situation which started back then… It was only a remaining and fleeting emotion and it isn't** **hindering me anymore."**

" **Eh. You sure have matured. My first impressions of you made me judge you as a petty boy,** **remember?"**

Tsk. No need to remind me of what you thought about my policy of not having friends!

" **I do but Hanekawa, surely you didn't bring me here to talk about the past."**

Wait, wasn't I the one who wanted to talk to her in the first place anyway?!

" **Araragi, I just picked a place where we would be able to talk in peace about what you wanted. That's all it really was. Forgive my previous question as we arrived there, it was plain curiosity from my side."**

It's also a character trait of Hanekawa that's both hard to like and dislike. This is just who she is, in all her sincerity. And I can't find it in me to hate Hanekawa Tsubasa for being herself to such a point.

It makes you wonder why others prefer wearing masks. Myself included.

* * *

Fifteen minutes passed. I explained to her everything that transpired at noon, when Senjougahara and I had encountered the mysterious and somehow enticing third year Michiko Yamane.

" **Eeeh. That's unusual for Senjougahara to behave like this. And I don't mean when she told you to be quiet and labeled you as a pervert."**

Damn you Hanekawa. I won't fall for this one!

" **Right? It's like an incredible occurrence took place for this to happen… Senjougahara yielding to someone could only be explained by the likes of the positioning of the stars and the shifting of the tectonic plates!"**

Hanakawa gave me a puzzled look, tilting her head sideways. She then leaned towards me as she consequently stoped using the fence as support for her back.

" **I think you omitted a pretty obvious possibility. I'm amazed you didn't think of that in the** **first place."**

Uh… A possibility she says. An obvious one…? If we were to adapt this instant in an anime, I bet the direction would suggest that my strand of hair form an interrogation point.

" **I think you lost me."**

" **My bad. I forgot that if we take mathematics out of the way, there's nothing left for Araragi."**

Hey. Isn't she being meaner than usual or is it just me?!

" **I can't believe this is the same Araragi I have in front of me who said this very morning '** _ **So it's a bit like what happened with Oikura a few months ago even if she ended up leaving Naoetsu High.'**_

Oikura Sodachi. Her face pops up in my mind for the time being, but nothing else comes to me. I mean, yes, a girl returning to school was the same kind of thing but other than that… the matter was solved with Hanekawa's and Ougi's help.

…

Ougi!

I was trapped with her in a weird classroom at first.

We talked about aberrations and my past.

Then, everything happened.

That's it. I found that possibility. As I just realized what she was referring to, I mention it out loud.

" **Aberration…"**

She smiles at me.

" **That's right. Back then, Ougi solved the problem before me. Even though it wasn't a case concerning an aberration at the time, the fact that she is Oshino Meme's niece and knows about his field of work should have sparked the thought of the aberration."**

An aberration again…? Thankfully, Ononoki is still staying at our place so I could try to get something out of her or she could ask her master I once fought, Kagenui.

" **I see. This is something I could try to investigate. Thanks, I was right to think you were the one I had to tell first."**

" **You're welcome. I think Kanbaru would be glad to help you as well, if the need arises."**

It's rare for Hanekawa to mention Kanbaru. It makes quite the impression as she's telling me that, so I'm sure to keep it somewhere in the corner of my mind.

" **Indeed, I have such a dependable kouhai. I shouldn't rely on her too much but I'll keep that in mind."**

" **I should get going now. You too, Araragi. I don't think you want to tick off Tsukihi and Karen some more, do you?"**

These two... Thanks for reminding me, Hanekawa. It's time for a certain big brother to exact his revenge upon these two devils.

" **Thanks for your concern, but that's the other way around. They definitely don't want to anger me right now."**

She laughed at that and after she adjusted her bag correctly on herself, began to get on her way while waving.

" **See you tomorrow, don't bully them too much! It might come back to bite you later! Women are pretty dangerous when they feel like it!"**

Her advice or rather her warning didn't fall into deaf ears. I'm already well aware of that, so I didn't bother answering anything to it. And she was already quite far. I don't feel like yelling at all. Better keep the strength of my voice for the real thing, that is to say, the quarrel to come when I get back home.

* * *

" **Ah. Devil boy."**

Ononoki Yotsugi is standing in front of the residence, wearing a kimono my little sister probably made her wear as her personal doll. I arrived just now and was mentally preparing my assault on Karen and Tsukihi on the way, after Hanekawa left. I didn't expect the shikigami familiar to appear this early in my evening plan.

" **Yo, Ononoki. What's up? And what are you doing here? Aren't you cold out there?"**

Her cloth was a bit on the loose side, and parts of her bare skin were showing.

" **What are you saying, devil boy. I'm a tsukumogami. I can't feel the effects of the cold weather. It's the same with heat, by the way."**

Oops. My habit of worrying over little girls, or what seems to look like it, manifested again.

" **And I was waiting for you, to answer your question. Gaen told me to be careful and warn you about** **something. Peace. Yay."**

The strange doll manages to surprise me again with her unexpected behavior despite the fact that she's staying over for quite some time now. Her pose looks incredibly funny, no matter how many times I'm seeing her do that. A small smile begins to form on my face, before I realize Ononoki mentioned the name of the mysterious specialist Gaen Izuko. An intriguing person whose intentions and true self I still can't quite put my finger on.

" **I wanted to speak to you as well, but that can wait."**

And it may be related to what I wanted to tell Ononoki anyway. It's Gaen we're talking about so it must be about an aberration, right?

" **Gaen contacted me to inform us there's an aberration in town yet to be defined. The presence is quite strong so Gaen wants me to protect you properly and to be informed of anything you may encounter since you're an aberration magnet."**

A magnet, uh? That very well may be the case if you think about it. I recall Gaen talking about that in a roundabout way, back when the First Aberration Slayer was in town.

" **If that's the case, I may have a lead on something that could be suspicious. But before we talk about it, I suggest we get into the house. You may not feel the cold, but I do."**

" **I didn't consider the weakness you constantly harbor. I am sorry, devil boy."**

First my sisters, then I got teased all day by Hanekawa, abused by that odd girl, even by my girlfriend and now Ononoki is doing it?!

There's a limit to patience, and I've endured enough, god damn it!

" **Shut up and get going!"**

I ended up pushing Ononoki towards the door and into the house after I opened it.

* * *

 _ **As usual, your reviews would be appreciated. Have a good day dear readers.**_


	4. Michiko layer : Chapter 4

**_Here is chapter 4. Sorry for the delay guys, life has its challenges for everyone and I couldn't really find the time or the dedication in the free time I had available to write much. I'm trying for a comeback nowadays, so expect chapter 5 in the next days!_**

 _ **I'll also put in underlined parenthesis what I was listening to, when writing certain scenes of the chapters. If some of you like to read while listening to OSTS from the show, like me, you can match the scenes with the proper OST.** _

* * *

23rd February. 7 :14 pm

 _(Theme of the scene: Suteki Meppou )_

" **I see."**

Ononoki Yotsugi. A girl who saved my life many times just finished listening to my explanation of today's events at Naoetsu, including that girl's attitude, and more importantly, Senjougahara's response to it.

" **This is just jealousy isn't it? So I said, with a posed look."**

Where the hell did that expression come back from? Is this the throwback Thursday trend? First Senjougahara with her stationery weapons, now Ononoki with her old and weird way to conclude her statements?!

" **Didn't you drop that off out of embarrassment? Why are you using that again? And no, that's not it! Can't you use your brain more efficiently?!"**

This is getting nowhere if specialists aren't taking this seriously. I need to speak to Gaen. A part of me somehow doesn't want to, but I can't be greedy and start being selfish. Why can't the world understand how big the problem is already?! Senjougahara yielded to someone.

She yielded.

Hello?! Isn't this big enough to be on the news?!

Crap. I'm starting to panic. Not good, not good.

" **Big brother, I'd appreciate it if you could stop yelling at my doll. What's with this perverted hobby, uh?"**

" **Shut up, Tsukihi. I'm not in the mood for your childish complaints. Just get rid of your clothes and wait in the bath for me."**

My sister, Tsukihi, barged in with a spoon in her mouth and started to harass me once more. It's about time she learns her place and I shall thoroughly pound that knowledge into her. By any means necessary.

 _Gulp._

I'm getting carried away.

" **The hell you think you are? I already bathed anyway, creep! I don't care anymore, die!"**

And there goes the annoying sister. Tsukihi disappeared behind the door she slammed shut. My strategy was flawless and worked wonders. Man, I have years of experience honing this incredible technique. I'm proud of myself if I may say so.

Ononoki decided to voice her opinion just after that, in a very noticeable and lasting way.

" **Creeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep."**

" **You shut up too! Aaaaah! You're all getting on my case today, even more than usual!"**

Just as I was despairing for someone to be a little more serious about this situation, my phone began to ring. Ononoki was trying to say something else but refrained herself as she heard the ringtone.

" **Hello, Koyomin. How are you? Stressed? Irritated? Horny, maybe?"**

Ugh. Gaen. She truly knows everything, doesn't she?

" **Who would be that despicable to be horny in the presence of a dead corpse and their two sisters?"**

I managed to say that while staying quite composed. There you go, me. Well done!

I'm secretly basking in delight while I direct my eyes away from anything in front of me, unaware of the looming retorts to come.

" **Why are you averting your gaze from me as if you were speaking to me, devil boy? Instinctively hiding your embarrassment by looking away isn't going to work you know. You are speaking to someone else through the phone."**

" **Oh, Ononoki is there? Good, good. What were you doing alone with her in a room? Oh well."**

Somebody kill me already. Oh wait, I can't die. You know, since I became Shinobu's thrall and all. No use to get a flashback to explain everything again right? Today may be a trip down memory lane to some, but not to me!

" **There are further disturbances in town lately. You didn't happen to do anything naughty, Koyomin?** _ **Teehee.**_ **"**

Damn this woman. I really can't wrap my head around what she's going about most of the time.

" **First things first, Ononoki is there because YOU told her to stay in OUR house. I'm living here so naturally I will end up being in the same room one way or another. Secondly, I don't even know what's happening so even if I did something, that would be without me being conscious about it. Finally, I'm the one who should be shooting questions there!"**

" **Oh yes, yes. There is quite an aberration running around for a few days already. It's escaping my net by a hair's breadth each time I'm trying to get information. I have my suppositions about what it is, but I can't be sure until…"**

Gaen cut her sentence short and continued.

" **Anyway, what were you talking about with Ononoki?"**

" **A strange attitude Senjougahara had at school, and a returning student we met today."**

" **Tell me more, Koyomin. You got me interested. Come on. Tell me everything about it."**

What are you, a high-school girl waiting for love stories to be told?! Anyway, I told Gaen everything I just spoke about with Ononoki a few instants ago.

" **Eeeeh. So it IS true then. Thanks, that has been very informative."**

I feel like I'm missing the point, because I barely said anything close to being informative. It looks like it was enough for the know-it-all woman.

" **Wait, wait, wait! You're not going to hang up on me now Gaen, you're an adult who will properly explain everything to ensure nothing goes wrong, right?"**

" _ **Mmmmmh…**_ **The only thing I can say is that if you meddle too much, there might be some complications to the case for me, you and your entourage. Then again, it's Koyomin we are talking about so… Whatever. Bye-bi!"**

She hung up. Ononoki is still staring at me in her usual deadpan way.

" **What is the matter you talked about that an adult needs to explain properly to be sure nothing goes wrong, devil boy?"**

…

" **Creeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep."**

" **Shut it!"**

* * *

24th February. 8:03 am.

 _(Theme of the scene: Shikigami )_

This is the kind of morning you wake up with a headache so strong, you'd wish to get an anesthesia so you would not feel anything at all anymore. Don't ask me why this is happening, it seems there's too many things I can't explain lately.

I barely said anything at all when I came to meet my sisters in the kitchen. Every word they spoke to me seemed like an irritating noise to my ears and I couldn't even decipher them. It's like my brain was on low-battery mode, having its functions to the bare minimum required to keep me alive. A sensation I'm sympathetic enough to not wish for anyone to experience.

The state I'm currently in makes me irritated, agitated and angry. I'm very well aware of that and I want to go back to being the Araragi Koyomi who skipped classes.

At least just for today.

But be it as it may, I'm still thinking this is a bad idea. One person pops up in the mess my head is in, and it's Senjougahara. She's trying so hard to make me study and make me become a proper student so that I may take my entrance exams and end up going to the same university together. As horrible as I may be feeling right now, I still have a duty to fulfill. Not only as a student, for myself and my future but as a boyfriend too.

Also, why am I thinking so much on the way to school? Especially on the day I'm feeling under the weather and have bells constantly ringing in my head, feeling like it's splitting apart? I usually don't go into such introspection when I feel alright. Is it related to the fact that depressed people are processing way more thoughts than people who aren't? I heard that when you feel really bad, you think more than usual? Anyway, Araragi Koyomi wondering about all this is strange, if I got to be honest.

I want to go home. But I'm not going to. I need to be there and see if anything else happens to Senjougahara. It's the least I could do. As she said not so long ago, I need to keep trying hard so that she doesn't lose interest in me. There is no absolute in terms of human relationships.

A sudden gust of wind cut into my bones, instilling an unpleasant and chilling sensation in my body and putting a halt to my thoughts. I still really can't understand how can Hanekawa enjoy such weather this early in the morning at this time of the year.

Wait. Isn't that-

Yes, it's her. She is standing in front of the gates. Lost in my thoughts, I also lost track of my journey to Naoetsu High. I'm a few meters away from there already and there she is, looking over the tall building which sits behind said gates.

Michiko Yamane.

I get chills. This must be because of the cold wind blowing over us, for sure. Not because of her long hair swaying under the wind's breath, the deep black contrasting with her pearl-like skin void of any imperfection. Her gaze is distant. It's as though she is looking at nothingness, as if she is the only one in the world to distinguish a form out of it.

She sighs. I don't know if it's me, but her sigh held some kind of heaviness I can't explain. I'm not one to decipher these kinds of things usually but for Michiko… for this girl, somehow...

I can tell. Definitely.

There's something pulling me in towards her. I really want to help her, more than anyone else. I know a part of me is pushing me to just go in and check on Senjougahara, but my feelings are telling me I should bring assistance to Michiko. If we take matters from an objective point of view, I'm sure anyone would help their lover before a fellow schoolmate. It's a weird sensation to reverse the importance of these two girls, but...

If I was going to ignore Michiko, I feel like I would lose my identity as Araragi Koyomi. I'm sure Senjougahara would understand. That being said, I can't just walk up to her and straight up ask her to rely on me. I may be an idiot sometimes, I still learn from my mistakes. And I want to correct them whenever I have the possibility to do so.

 _(Theme of the scene: Kaii no Ou )_

" _ **My master. This is unbefitting of a gentleman's expected attitude. I figured I'd stop you before you are caught red handed."**_

Whoa! Shinobu's voice rings through my ears, or more precisely my mind. Wait… Shinobu…?

" _ **Shinobu?! Aren't you supposed to be asleep by now?"**_

" _ **I sure am but I had a bad feeling as you got near that girl. It woke me up and I felt like I needed to be there in case you would do something inappropriate. You're truly impossible to tame. And here I thought you had enough activities with the purple haired one..."**_

" _ **Leave me alone! Go back to sleep, you donuts lover. As if I would do anything remotely close to what you were thinking. Get off my case already!"**_

Everyone is just assuming I'm a dog in heat or something lately! Give me a break…

" _ **I wonder about that…"**_

Just as she says these words, I sense her presence diminishing within my shadow and my mind.

Sheesh… Shinobu can be such a handful whenever she's acting like that.

Ah. Michiko already left. This inner argument will make me late if I keep standing here. I'd better go to class. I don't want to be the center of attention this early in the day as the one who came in late. I have other things to think of.

* * *

23rd February. 1:06 pm.

 _(Theme of the scene: Shichigatsu Juugonichi )_

Everyone is probably enjoying their meal, happily chatting with their friends or lovers, while I am still sitting alone in the classroom. By the way, Senjougahara is absent today, which makes me worried to some extent. But strangely enough, I'm not focusing on her absence.

Morning periods went by, and I didn't listen to anything that was being said during class. Model student my ass. I'm not even close to being what's expected of me, I'm a failure as Senjougahara's boyfriend. Not to mention a failure as a student, for myself. As you may have expected it by now, the only thing I was thinking of all that time is about the transfer student.

No.

The returning student.

And here is the problem I'm currently facing: The last girl who made such a lasting impression on me was Senjougahara. Are the seeds of doubt sprouting within me…? Does Araragi Koyomi, really questions his love- no, his faithfulness to the one he loves, that same one who loves his pitiful self?

I need to calm down. This can't be something this serious, this grave.

I'm overreacting.

Chill, me. Collect your thoughts and answer logically to this equation.

Prove that Araragi Koyomi isn't in love with Senjougahara Hitagi anymore since the arrival of Michiko Yamane. You may make use of the parameter named Hanekawa Tsubasa.

" **The answer is…"**

" **e^(i*π) + 1 = 0. Remember that, Araragi ? If the final result is zero, in other words, nothing… what's the point in making an equation in the first place?"**

The voice of Oshino Meme's niece reaches me, as I look up to her standing in front of the blackboard. It brings me back to last summer.

Oshino Ougi. I had been thinking about her lately, and there she is. Always inviting herself, at the most unexpected moments.

I omit her statement as she showed up.

" **Hello, Ougi. It's been a while. Did you already eat?"**

I'm trying to change subject here. In other words, I'm trying to run from it. To be frank, I don't want Ougi to be caught in my problems.

" **What a mean person you are, Araragi. To think that you would forget you promised me to eat together today… We passed by each other the other day, and you told me 'Let's eat tomorrow, it's been a while since we last talked after all!' I was really looking forward to it, you know? Uwaaaah. Araragi is so mean to me."**

Did I really…? Ougi looks dead serious though. I probably forgot. I mean it's not that unbelievable, between my inner turmoil, my headache still not leaving me alone since this morning, and the recent events happening… I can totally see myself forgetting about such a thing. I'm indeed mean. I should apologize.

" **Alright, alright. I'm sorry, Ougi. There's just so much going through my head right now that I forgot about it. Let me make amends for it and buy you lunch."**

" **Waaaaai. Then I want the deluxe menu."**

Oi. There's a limit to what my wallet can afford. I usually only buy the deluxe in January because I got some money from New Year! It's February! Everything's gone, you know?!

But I can't refuse. I'm the one in the wrong to begin with. I'll just eat instant ramen for the next few days…

" **There you go."**

I give her the sum of money she'd need and stand up so we could get there.

" **Stay here, I'll eat later. I'd rather have something else as an apology. You look really tormented, Araragi."**

" **Do I? I don't-…"**

But I get cut off as she butts in.

" **You just need to accept my request, you imbecile."**

…

" **Why do you know about what I'm… No, what do you know exactly?"**

" **I don't know anything. You are the one who knows, Araragi."**

Her smile is making me feel uneasy. She leans on the teacher's desk, right by the blackboard and seems like she's not just looking at me, but right through me.

Oshino Ougi really is a mystery to me.

A dark mystery, as deep as the "darkness".

But this will be a story for another day.

* * *

 ** _Ayy. Now we all know what's the deal with Ougi right?_ Owarimonogatari season 2 _was amazing._**

 ** _But at this point in the timeline... he's convinced that she's the "darkness" so I'll make him stay true to himself._**

 ** _Thank you for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter of_ Yakomonogatari _._**


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